Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1887-04-06
SABBATH Desc GRAFTON.
Tothe Editor Of The Republican:

the community. Whatever may be the ideas of
feelings of people who have grown up under the
influence of sabbath dissertation, and have thus
become accustomed to it, the effect cannot be
otherwise than injurious. 1t falls to the lot of
physicians and ministers of the gospel to visit
the houses of the people IN their professional
CAPACITY; and they have thus all opportunity of
observing the marked difference III the faces
and general health between those who treat
their families and themselves to fair share of
fresh pure.air. and those who do not. las how
some people seem to be profoundly ignorant of
the absolute necessity of pure air to the enjoy
mept of good health! And SO accustomed do
they become to impure air that they do not even
perceive its perncious and deadly ERECT, but
live and move and have their being in suffo-
eating atmosphere. 1t is wellknown tact that
almost all life. vegetable and animal, needs
pure air III order to be i'll healthy and happy
condition. And thank God, as rule there is
plenty of it, What is good and necessary for
the wel-being of the lower forms of life, is also
essential for the higher-the mental, moral and
spiritual. Those who have to use their brain
will admit that 1t is almost impossible to think
ably in sitting atmosphere. 1t is the same
with the mUTdl Auu opilAluel -tAO' AhNSN VI
course are not exposed 20 The effect OF foul air,
but they may come under the influence OF Vlcl-
Gus thoughts and words and actions presented
in books, or exhibited by persons. Yes. the
higher forms of life in man depend very largely
upon the kind of books he reads. or the sort OF
people he keeps company with. If once de-
PRAYED taste is formed, that taste will grow, and
ike the yulture it will search after just such
food as will suit 1t. And as ono man llVeth un-
to himself out every one is exercising an IN
fuence upon those around him; we see how the
evil tastes spread and multiply themselves; and
how at last vice becomes regarded as a virtue
hot because of what is i'll ITSELF but because it
has been enthroned by popular use and appro-
baton. Thus it is that the moral atmosphere
becomes polluted, aud the higher sensibilities
i'll man become stunted.
Sabbath dissertation In America may to
large extent be regarded as being imported from
the continent of Europe. 1t seems as though
people i'll Germany, France and other European
countries could not manage to live by working
six days in the week, but that they are ineyjta-
ably doomed to deprive themselves OF the bless
ing of taking holiday once week, and are
thus prevented from gaining strength ard i'm
petus to perform their weekly task. While the
English and Americans enjoy hfty-two holidays
a year those poor unfnrtunat on the continent
of Europe must forego the blessing of rest and
peace and joy, which the Americans find in tie
observance of Gods daS-in the acceptance OF
Gods gift.
But it may be asked. do not the people in the
old countries go to church? Yes. they do; bnt
they will buy and sell before going, and they
will buy and sell and work after they have been
Notwithstanding that they read on tables i'll the
very church they have worshipped in "Remem-
Der the Sabbath to keep it holy" Church going
seems with many people more an act of super
stitious necessity than act of grateful ac
acknowledgements and homage to the giver of
every good and perfect gift-than joyful parti-
cipation of the bread of life, than remember
ing of the sabbath day to keep it holy. No won
der that many of them go to have a nap. when
like galley-slaves the almost only music of their
lives is-work-work WORK. 1 have heard it
said, and believe it TO be true, that, ''all work
and no play makes Jack dull boy" And it
may be that this work-work-work, is the very
cause of sabbath breaking; because of the dull
ness produced by incessant working Anyway,
instead of getting living in six days those poor
folks have thus tar been doomed to work seven
days per week.
Whatever may be the cause of sabbath desc
Grafton in the European countries, the citizens
of Watertown ought not to be guilty of this de-
grading, God defying practice. 1t cannet be
gainsaid that wherever the foreign element is
largely represented in American cities and
towns, and are able to control the law, we find
this horrid practice prevailing. Would ii not be
credit and glory to those who have come
to this country-so fair. so productive, so free to
content themselves with buying and selling and
working during the six days as appointed by the
law of the land. and commanded by the Great
81 Am" Alas how strange! how sad! that peo-
pie should be so blind, SO foolish to act SO con-
trary to their own best and highest interest to
be robbing God to be robbing one another, to
be robbing themselves. In all sober1ess ask.
could not the farmers manage to get rid of their
produce during the week days? Could not the
storekeepers manage to sell all they have to sell
in six days? Could not everything that has to
be done for the sake of getting living be done
within the appointed time according to the law
of the land and the command of God? If the
Americans and those from the British Isles are
able to do all that Characterization warrants
them to do in SIX days. why not the people Of
Watertown? Why should the abiding inhab-
itants of this city submit to these foreign inno-
vations? But let MS inquire further: What is
the general effect of this Sabbath dissertation
upon the young people that are growing up?
The Dissertation of the Sabbath day has follow
Ing in its wake a host of evils To begin with,
it deprives these engaged in it of the discharge
of their moral and spiritual duties which are
essential to the higher nature of man, 1t requires
no spectacles IT, see that wherever the Sabbath
law is broken the moral atmosphere is urheal-
thy; diseases CT all ki~lds generated, and the
moral taste becomes vit;ated. And thus, as
rule. wherever the Sabbath-day is not day Of
rest. it becomes day of carousal There one
can hear the big drum, the braZen blast, the
tinkling cymbal; and there are to b. seen scenes
of folly, vice and crime so that the words of the
poet
Only man is vile"
ar proved TO be only too true. l have been told
by those who have lived here for number of
years that this city during the summer months
is a sort of receptacle for noisy demonstrations
on Sundays for visitors from various points
of the state. And thus, as further result